


Our Daffodil Days

by donotfeedthebirds



Category: PRISTIN (Band)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-07
Updated: 2018-08-11
Packaged: 2019-06-06 14:45:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15197045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/donotfeedthebirds/pseuds/donotfeedthebirds
Summary: Two girls, one trying to live life to the fullest and one trying to delay it.(or, the one where KK tries to complete her bucket list while NY tries her best to avoid attending her best friend’s wedding)______cross-posted on aff





	1. intro

Nayoung was alone when she received a letter in the mail. Of course, she always was.

She was alone when she woke up, when she drove to work, and even when she returned to her small apartment late in the evening. She was alone when she ate most of her meals, her dining table - which was complete with six chairs - only ever occupied her, the remaining five seats gathering dust.

It had been days since someone talked to her outside of work, and even then it was just a polite “hello" and some small talk with an apartment neighbour she was barely acquaintances with. 

Some days she felt lonely, especially when she had nothing to do but sit and think, but overall she was fine with her life. It hadn’t bothered her much - she was the type of person who enjoyed her privacy - but the contents of the letter made her alone status feel just a little more bitter.

Hastily, she opened the envelope with a slide of her letter opener. Her eyes instantly landed on a thick piece of paper with large lettering covering its expanse.  
“We formally invite you to the wedding of Kim Minkyung and Kang Yaebin,” it said, in glittery gold cursive. Ah. “RSVP before May 28.”

Nayoung knows she should have been happy for them - and she was - but something felt off about it. She knew she was being a bad friend but she couldn’t help but to feel a little envious. The lonely feeling in her chest grew a little more as she read and re-read those words, an unfamiliar feeling of yearning settling in.

Minkyung was getting married. And to Yaebin, of all people. 

Nayoung let out a small chuckle at that, remembering how Yaebin had the biggest crush on Minkyung in their college days and practically begged Nayoung to introduce them, somehow knowing that the two tall girls were in the same Music theory class. Of course, Minkyung had been going out with Kyungwon back then, leading to Nayoung having many a sad movie session with Yaebin, complete with tubs of icecream and tears from both girls.

And look where they were now.

Over four years had passed since then. Yaebin had officially gotten the girl, while Nayoung hadn’t been in a serious relationship for months, which inevitably ended when Nayoung became too busy at work.   
Her parents were starting to push her into getting married soon, especially after her older brother got engaged. They said that they wanted grandchildren soon. She rolled her eyes at the thought and continued to read.

“Reception will be on June 9th,” Nayoung read aloud, “we hope you will be available to attend.”

Underneath the fancily-decorated invitation was another letter, handwritten this time. She vaguely recognised the slanted handwriting to be Yaebin’s. 

‘Unnie!’ it read, ‘long time, no see. The bachelorette parties are coming up soon. Minky says that you should go to hers because it’ll be more fun, but she’s lying because mine will have strippers and hers won’t. You should go to both though, we miss you a lot.

I know you live far away from Seoul now, but we’d really love to see you and catch up.  
I promise you won’t be third wheeling the entire time.  
You can bring along a date if you want ;)’

Possible excuses went through Nayoung’s head as she tried to find any reason to avoid going.  
She could say that was too busy with work. This was true, of course, especially with her important project reaching its deadline soon. Then again, her break days were piling up, especially since she had nowhere to go on vacation.   
Missing her best friend’s wedding with such a poor excuse was unacceptable though, and Yaebin was right; they hadn’t seen each other in far too long.

With a sigh, Nayoung marked off the dates on her calendar.


	2. Pick Me Up

Nayoung was officially bored out of her mind. 

She had spent the last four hours driving, with the radio replaying the same few popular songs over and over.  
Her butt was starting to hurt from sitting in the same uncomfortable position for too long and the view outside her window had all started to blur together. The roads all seemed the same, their only differences being the various street signs that were Nayoung’s only clue as to where she was.  
She stretched a little, letting herself relax while the traffic made her slow down.

She peered outside of her window and saw a sign which said ‘Seoul: 350 kilometres’. A few more hours to her destination, then.

Seoul was just too far away.

Nayoung was minutes away from dozing off when she saw her.

There was a young girl, maybe around Nayoung’s age or a little younger, standing by the side of the road with her hand out, signalling her hitchhiker status. She had long black hair, so dark that it seemed almost unnatural in shade, especially in how it contrasted her pale skin. Her lips were a bright shade of red, turned up at the sides, a smile that dwindled everytime another car passed her by.

Her arm flapped around impatiently, and Nayoung assumed from the tired look in her eyes that she had been standing there for a long time.

Apart from the exhaustion on her face, everything about the girl was pretty. The way her loose clothing moved in the wind along with her silky hair made her look like some sort of commercial actress. Even from a distance, Nayoung could see her fair features, the curvature of her nose, the strong edges of her jaw.

A young, beautiful girl all alone, asking strangers for rides? That sounded like a recipe for disaster. Any random pervert could pick her up and do god-knows-what, especially in this part of town.  
Nayoung didn’t know what came over her, but she felt something in her gut telling her to help the girl before anyone else could. She was being little selfish too - for some reason she was intrigued by her - wanting to stop the boring monotony with the girl’s company.

Nayoung found her hands turning the wheel almost of their own accord, pulling the car off to the side next to the girl. The car came to a stop just in front of her. With a click, Nayoung unlocked her passenger door and gestured for the girl to come inside.

The side door swung open, revealing the girl that somehow looked even prettier close up. She didn’t seem to have anything with her except for a small backpack on her shoulder. It was decorated with small yellow flowers stitched on its pink fabric, the colours just as vibrant and bright as her lipstick.

Nayoung nodded at her, not trusting herself to speak without making a fool out of herself.

“Thank God you pulled over,” the pretty girl said as she quickly maneuvered her way into Nayoung’s car. “I was standing there for so long that I thought no one would pick me up.”

She closed the door behind her and Nayoung took a few seconds to force herself into a false sense of calm. ‘Calm down, Nayoung’ she told herself, ‘don’t make it so obvious that you’re socially inept.’

“It’s pretty dangerous to pick up strangers,” Nayoung explained, fake-leisurely, waiting for the girl to place her backpack in the backseat. “You can’t be sure if the person you’re picking up can be trusted.” Nayoung turned to face the road, returning her hands to the wheel, not wanting to be caught staring.

“What about you?” The pretty girl’s smile widened at the corners, and Nayoung’s heart pounded just a little harder in her chest as their eyes met in the reflection of the driving mirror. “Do you trust me?”

“I-" The girl fastened her seatbelt before looking back up at Nayoung in the mirror, as if anticipating her answer. “It’s not that I trust you-" she started to say, then she instantly regretted her lackluster choice of words. 

The smile faltered and the pretty girl looked down at her lap, apparently disappointed. Once again, Nayoung felt something indescribable in her gut, telling her to do anything to make this girl happy. 

“I just… felt like I had to help you.” She still wasn’t smiling. The girl peered into Nayoung’s eyes as if expecting her to say more, and for whatever reason Nayoung found herself unable to disobey. “I felt like I’d... regret it if I never met you.”

Her words came out slowly but surely, a little embarrassed at how honest she was being with this stranger. She must sound like a creep, wanting to know this girl purely with little to no information about her. Her honesty seemed to pay off, the girl’s lips regained a slight curve.

A silent lull came over them and Nayoung racked her brain for anything to say.

“I’m Nayoung, by the way. Nice to meet you.”

The pretty girl seemed amused by Nayoung’s out-of-the-blue introduction, her smile widening as Nayoung slowly spoke. She leaned back in the leather of Nayoung’s car seat, not making any movement to introduce herself as well.

“And you are?” Nayoung prompted, uncomfortable with the silence that settled once more.

“Joo Kyulkyung,” she stated simply. Her eyes seemed to go straight through Nayoung, only increasing her nerves.

“So, where am I taking you, Kyulkyung?” Nayoung said her name slowly, testing how the syllables felt on her tongue, before deciding that she liked it.

“You know those palaces in the middle of Seoul?” Kyulkyung asked. Her eyes lit up as her words flowed out, making her excitement obvious. Nayoung nodded, having been to them before. “Well, I’ve been meaning to go to one, or maybe all four.”

That would mean that Nayoung would have to take a few hours long detour away from her destination. Nayoung continued nodding, already planning the route they would have to take in her head.

“I heard they were beautiful at night. My friend said it was something you had to see before you died.” Her words tapered off at the end, but then returned to her usual cheeriness with her next words. “You can drop me off at any of them, I’ll find another ride if I end up wanting to go to the others.”

“No,” Nayoung blurted out, causing her to blush at her outburst, “I just… think it would be best if I were the one to take you there - to all of them, I mean.”

Kyulkyung tilted her head to the side in slight confusion, but she thankfully didn’t comment on Nayoung’s odd outburst. “Are you sure? I wouldn’t want to inconvenience you.”

“I’m completely sure. In fact, you’re doing me a favour.” Nayoung shook her head, trying to silence the part of her brain that was a little glad that she had an excuse to be late in meeting Minkyung and Yaebin again. 

“Well alright,” Kyulkyung responded. “to Seoul!”

Releasing the handbrake, Nayoung couldn’t help but to let out a small smile of her own. Even if this was only temporary, Nayoung wasn’t alone anymore.


	3. Crush

Though Kyulkyung’s company made her a little on edge, it also had the benefit of making the car ride less mind-numbingly boring. The songs on the radio were exactly the same - still overplayed pop music - but the enthusiastic way Kyulkyung sang along made it more bearable. She drummed her fingers on the windshield to the beat, her soft melodic voice matching the lyrics of whatever song was playing.

To Nayoung’s amusement, Kyulkyung seemed to know the dance to most of the songs, mimicking their point choreography as if she had practiced hundreds of times.

When she also got bored of the radio, she turned her attention to Nayoung.

“Nayoung-unnie? I’m bored~”

Nayoung raised her eyebrows in surprise, both at the out-of-the-blue aegyo and at her use of the term. 

“Unnie?” she asked, “how do you know I’m older than you?”

“Im Nayoung,” Kyulkyung stated cheerily, “born December 18, 1995 - so you’re three years older than me. Majored in Music Theory, graduated with Honours. Friends with Kim Minkyung and Kang Yaebin- should I keep going?” 

Nayoung turned her head to look at the other girl, confused by the scarily-accurate information that poured out of her mouth. The pleasantly bright way Kyulkyung spoke was slightly alarming as well. Had they met before? Or did she really pick up a murderer?

“Are you my stalker or something?” Nayoung asked, only half-joking, “what's next? My blood type?”

Nayoung, watching the younger girl’s lips turn into a playful pout, gripped the wheel a little tighter. It should be illegal to be that cute, it was dangerously distracting. 

“You really don’t remember me?” she whined, her pout jutting out even more as she spoke.

Nayoung racked her brain, trying to remember where she had seen the other girl before. She peered at her closely, well as closely as she could while still driving.  
Kyulkyung did look familiar, but Nayoung struggled remembering where she knew her from.

“Pinky?” Nayoung asked after a while, just now recognising the younger girl.

How could she forget?  
Pinky was in Yaebin’s year, a sophomore when Nayoung was a senior. She was smart enough to have been scouted from China, scoring a full academic scholarship, and even being advanced forward a year. She was stunningly pretty too, and had become very popular very quickly, her popularity only boosted by how kind and friendly she was. 

Nayoung had heard only good things from about her from other students, a great feat considering how competitive and mean university students could be. 

They had never met, though Yaebin would always talk about her when she occasionally gossiped about her classmates to Nayoung during one of their sad movie binges.  
Yaebin would sometimes describe the Chinese girl that sat next to her, little things like how her Korean was so good that it was easy to forget that she came from overseas, how she would always buy small trinkets for her younger siblings when they went out.

Nayoung had seen her around, small glimpses of the girl everyone wouldn't stop talking about, and she would sometimes catch the younger girl staring at her, though she brushed it off. There was little chance that a girl like Pinky - who the entire university loved - would even care about her, she thought.

Nayoung had heard that the girl dropped out months after she and Minkyung graduated, and there were plenty of rumours as to why.  
The most popular rumour was that she had been abducted by aliens, their main argument being that it was the only explanation to her having left so suddenly and without a trace. Others said that she had started a gang and therefore needed to be fully under the radar. One that Nayoung had heard once or twice was that Pinky got sick and had to stay in the hospital full time. 

The girl nodded eagerly at the sound of her old nickname, but also grimaced a little. 

“But don’t call me that anymore, unnie,” she said, pouting. “It’s embarrassing to think about.”

For some odd reason, Yaebin’s year level forced everyone to call them by a nickname. Eunwoo had tried to make everyone call her ‘Jessica’, which thankfully didn’t work out. Yaebin had been ‘Rena’ for a while - which honestly wasn’t that bad of a name - but she quickly changed back to Yaebin as soon as she graduated.

Nayoung assumed that Kyulkyung had done the same thing, leaving her nickname behind with her college days.

“Why?” Nayoung asked, “Pinky’s cute.”

Kyulkyung grumbled and only stopped pouting when Nayoung had promised to never call her Pinky again. They returned to a more peaceful quiet, having muted the radio after a long slew of advertisements.

The girl beside her had changed a lot since university, Nayoung noticed. Her facial features had matured, her cheekbones and jawline having sharpened with age. Her hair seemed darker too, more of a dyed black than the natural dark brown. It was no wonder why she had some difficulty remembering.

Nayoung found herself staring more often than she should, her eyes more focused on memorising Kyulkyung than on the road itself.

The sun was close to setting by the time they reached Seoul. Somewhere along the way, the younger girl had fallen asleep, her mouth slightly gaped open with her eyes completely shut. Kyulkyung was sleeping soundly, her head lolling against the headrest and occasionally bumping the glass.

And though Nayoung hated to interrupt her slumber, she tapped her on the shoulder, wanting to share the view of the descending sun. 

“Look,” she said, pointing outside the window. “Pretty, right?”

Instead of the calm reaction she was expecting, Kyulkyung looked almost frantic as she jerked awake.

“Unnie, we have to go!” She wiped the sleep from her eyes with her palms, stretching a little. “Park the car here, come on!” she insisted mere seconds later, pulling at Nayoung’s sleeve.

“What-” They swerved drastically to the side, Kyulkyung’s movements shifting the steering wheel. Immediately, Nayoung turned back the wheel to move them back into the correct lane, narrowly missing the oncoming traffic. A car that they almost swerved into honked at them.

Afterwards they made an abrupt stop and before Kyulkyung could apologise, Nayoung said “let’s just go watch the sunset”.

They found an appropriate viewing area less than a minute away. It was a small park, complete with too-tall trees and narrow walkways.  
They sat at a nondescript park bench, the one Kyulkyung deemed most suitable to watch the sunset on.

The sky which had once been a blue canvas was now painted with orangey-pink hues. Purple ink stained the few clouds scattered across the Seoul sky, a sight so beautiful that other people had gathered around to watch.

Though the swirling violets and pinks of the rapidly-shifting sky were breathtaking, Nayoung was wholly more captivated in the girl beside her. Her dark brown eyes seemed to sparkle in wonder as they followed the downwards motion of the disappearing sun. Kyulkyung’s appreciative gaze - and her mere presence - made something as simple and common as a daily sunset feel like a once-in-a-lifetime sight.

In the corner of her eye, Nayoung glimpsed the younger girl unzipping her backpack. Curious, she watched as Kyulkyung brought out a fairly tattered piece of paper. She ticked something off with a quick movement of her pen then hastily returned it to her bag before Nayoung could take a proper look at its contents.

Not wanting to pry into her personal business, Nayoung stayed silent. They sat there for a few more minutes, content with simply enjoying each others’ company. 

“It’s getting cold, unnie.”

Nayoung internally chastised herself for leaving behind her jacket in the car, not wanting to move an inch. Begrudgingly, she made a move to get up and grab it but to her surprise, Kyulkyung rested her head on Nayoung’s shoulder, preventing her from moving.

Awkwardly, Nayoung shifted her arm to bring it around Kyulkyung’s shoulders.

“Is this better?” she whispered. 

Kyulkyung shook her head before shifting even closer.She took hold of the hand that wasn’t wrapped around her and clasped it together with hers, the heat of her palm now pressed against Nayoung’s. “Now it’s better.”

Nayoung could feel her heartbeat harder in her chest, and she hoped that the other girl couldn’t notice it. Due to their close proximity, Nayoung found herself smelling Kyulkyung’s perfume on her skin, an almost-unnoticeable flowery scent, subtle yet refreshing. 

Around them families and couples were also watching the sun setting and Nayoung couldn't help but wonder if they also looked like that, as happy and loved-up as the other couples.

In the back of her mind Nayoung hoped she would be able to spend many more sunsets with the girl who made every sight more beautiful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Considering the pace this is going, I estimate this’ll take about 20 to 25 chapters? I'm not quite sure though, let's just see where the night takes us.
> 
> Serious thanks to everyone who's read up to this point. I’ve had this story in my head for a while and I'm glad I'm able to share it.


	4. More More

Although Nayoung was exhausted, she drove them to Changdeok Palace, fulfilling her promise to take the younger girl there. When she locked the handbrake, she noticed Kyulkyung scribbling away at that piece of paper she saw before. 

Nayoung cleared her throat to catch the other girl’s attention, and when Kyulkyung looked up, Nayoung was rewarded with a smile.

“Great, we’re here!” She folded and placed the paper back into her bag, bringing it to a close with a quick zip. “We can go straight there, right? I already made reservations for us.” 

She had planned on taking a nap while Kyulkyung took the ‘Moonlight Tour’, a well-deserved break from driving all day. After all, sleep was Nayoung’s favourite activity, she was prone to falling asleep and dozing off pretty much anywhere - from her desk at work to even the grimiest of public transport. 

She told Kyulkyung this but the younger girl had somehow pestered her into coming along, whining and pouting until she got her way. Kyulkyung’s pout was already too powerful, already able to convince her away from her beloved sleep after less than a day.

And so, 30 minutes of registration and 60,000 won later, Nayoung found herself near the back of a large group of tourists. 

As tired as Nayoung was, Kyulkyung seemed to be her exact opposite. There was a noticeable bounce in her step, causing to Nayoung wonder how the younger girl could still be filled with such energy. While Nayoung’s tiredness must have shown on her face (a tourist actually asked if she was alright, offering her a facial mask because he thought she was sick), Kyulkyung’s energy was apparent in her ever-present smile.

She was full of excitement and enthusiasm as she walked side-by-side with the tour guide, interrupting him every minute or so with questions about the palace’s history or architecture. Fortunately, the guide didn’t seem to mind. He actually seemed happy to answer her questions, glad to divulge his extensive knowledge with someone passionate to learn. Nayoung imagined that it was a welcome change from the other tourists, most of which were too busy snapping pictures or talking with each other to listen.

“This building is Injeongjeon Hall,” he said, gesturing around the building they were standing in, “Originally built in 1405, it was primarily used by the King when he met with foreign visitors. Unfortunately, the hall burned down twice an-”

Nayoung tried listening, but her exhausted state left her flitting in and out of consciousness. Her eyes would droop, threatening to surrender to sleep at any moment but she forced herself to stay awake. The tour only helped to tire her out further, the constant walking and abrupt stops worsening the ache of her body. His droning, monotone voice didn’t help either, it reminded her of the boring lessons she suffered through in school and only made her desire to sleep grow.

Kyulkyung must have noticed she was having difficulty with paying attention because she lagged back to return to Nayoung’s side, letting a few people overtake her.  
“Thanks for coming along,” she whispered, letting out a breathy laugh as Nayoung merely nodded, too tired to form a verbal response.

Nayoung, her head naturally tilted down in exhaustion, noted the effortless way they had fallen into step. When her left foot moved forward, Kyulkyung’s did too, their bodies naturally in sync, keeping them perfectly side by side. It was odd, but a bit nice. Kyulkyung didn’t have to stay behind for her, nor did she have to ask Nayoung to join the tour. It felt a bit strange to be wanted after spending such a long time alone.

The group had stopped again in front of a small platform, a sort-of stage where a performance was to be held, bringing the older girl out of her busy thoughts. The few lights that illuminated their path dimmed, bringing more attention to the performers that walked onto the stage, some wearing fully white robes and carrying instruments.  
The other tourists had their cameras pressed to their faces, no doubt taking pictures or videos of the whole event. 

As soon as the sticks hit the drums, Kyulkyung brought out the paper neatly folded in her pocket. It seemed to be the same one Nayoung had watched the younger girl tuck into her backpack, though she was unsure on when Kyulkyung had transferred it from her bag into her pants pocket.

Curious, Nayoung tilted her head to try and see what was written on the piece of paper. Unfortunately, she found herself unable to read most characters on the sheet of paper because it was fully written in Mandarin.  
Just like at the sunset, Kyulkyung ticked something off and returned it to where she took it from, this time being her jacket. 

Inside the pocket of her jeans, Nayoung’s phone vibrated twice. Slipping it out of her pocket, she took subtle glances at her illuminated screen, not wanting to be obvious that she wasn’t paying attention to the performance. After all, that would be rude, especially since they must have put hours of work into perfecting the dance and instrumentation.

The texts were from Minkyung, asking about Nayoung’s whereabouts. Internally, Nayoung chastised herself. How could she have forgotten the reason she was going to Seoul in the first place? Minkyung’s bachelorette party starting soon and being already 9 PM, Nayoung was apparently the last of the guests to arrive. But she couldn’t just leave the palace grounds all of a sudden, let alone leave Kyulkyung by herself. 

She was stuck between what she had to do in order to be a good friend, and what she couldn’t do. 

Again and again, she glanced over the texts, her fingers lingering over the keyboard on her screen. After too many moments of hesitation, she deleted the words she had managed to type, stuffing her phone back into her jeans after putting it on mute. 

Kyulkyung tore her eyes away from the performance to raise a questioning brow at the older girl. 

Nayoung shook her head and mouthed “nothing important". Fortunately, her words assuaged the younger girl’s concerns and Kyulkyung didn't press further. She wouldn’t even know what to say if Kyulkyung asked. Like “Yes, I’m avoiding my best friend who I haven’t seen in years, and instead I’m here with you.”

With a surge of confidence, and to make up for her lack of verbal communication, Nayoung took hold of Kyulkyung’s hand and stroked it with her thumb. 

Nayoung wondered if it was the odd lighting surrounding them that caused Kyulkyung to turn red. Perhaps the nearby lanterns were emitting a red light, one that could cause the illusion of a pink flush on Kyulkyung’s pale skin, causing Kyulkyung to seem as if she were blushing. After all, there was no way that a girl like Kyulkyung could be so affected by her mere touch.

Kyulkyung turned to her and peered upwards, her pupils hidden behind thick lashes. She looked into Nayoung’s eyes, an intense, almost determined expression similar to when she looks at the sheet of paper. She breathes gently, through half-parted lips, her breath turning the nearby air a misty white.

Nayoung had no idea who had started to lean in first, but she realised that Kyulkyung’s face was inching closer, the warmth of the younger girl’s breath starting to heat up her skin. 

The lights flickered back on and the crowd around them moved once more. The performance apparently ended during their little moment - Nayoung hadn’t noticed it, hadn’t noticed anything past her and Kyulkyung. For a little while, it was almost as if they were the only two people on Earth. Nayoung jerked away as soon as she realised that everyone could see them, breaking the tentative hold of their hands. To Nayoung’s surprise, the cold quickly returned and she found herself missing the warmth that Kyulkyung’s closeness provided.

She wished that someone had leaned in just a little more, or that she didn’t care as much about what other people thought - that she didn’t pull away so quickly.

The tour ended shortly after, apparently cut short because many of their performers were sick that day with the flu. It was the wet season after all, and sickness is difficult to avoid and even harder to get rid of.

“C'mon, let’s get you to somewhere you can sleep,” Kyulkyung said as they exited the gate, reaching out to pull Nayoung to the parked car. Kyulkyung’s gentle fingers wrapped around Nayoung’s forearm shot a welcome feeling of warmth throughout her body, fighting against the chill of the air.

Kyulkyung had taken the driver’s seat, arguing that Nayoung was too tired to drive safely, even going so far as to showing her Korean license to the older girl, as if that proved it would be fine for her to take the wheel.  
Nayoung had never trusted anyone to drive her car before so she was understandably reluctant.

“Well, you can trust me,” Kyulkyung said, clicking her seatbelt into place. 

“I think I already do.” And she did. In just a day, she found that she trusted this girl more than she trusted some of her close friends and colleagues as if the girl had some power over her that no one else did. What else could explain how quickly and completely this trust had formed.

Nayoung’s words were muttered underneath her breath, more a silent whisper than spoken aloud but somehow Kyulkyung heard her and rewarded her with a smile.

“I think I trust you too.”


	5. Say My Name

With a few helpful comments about where to turn or when to continue along, Nayoung successfully guided them to a nearby hotel. She was pleased to find that Kyulkyung was an adequate driver, albeit a little dangerous. Once or twice the younger girl had sped through red lights, arguing that “life has to be lived quickly”.

It was late in the night in a busy city, so finding a place to stay that didn’t already have its ‘NO VACANCY’ sign lit up was more difficult that either of them had anticipated. The only available hotel was one that looked about two stars above Nayoung’s price range, but she was so tired that she told Kyulkyung that they would stay there.

They parked the car a little ways the hotel’s designated parking. Nayoung didn’t trust the shifty-looking valet (and she didn’t want to pay for the overpriced valet parking service), and Kyulkyung was adamant on keeping her title as the only person Nayoung had allowed behind the wheel of her car, so they had foregone the offer of parking in the hotel’s lot.

Because the sun had set hours beforehand, the path to the hotel entrance was near invisible - especially to Nayoung, whose eyesight had deteriorated from too many nights of staring at her bright laptop screen. Even if she squinted she could only see a few metres ahead, barely managing to avoid the muddy patches of grass.

Before Kyulkyung - who had the great idea of turning on her phone’s flashlight - could illuminate their path, Nayoung somehow gotten her shoe wedged between a rock and an overgrown root.   
Like a baby deer learning to walk for the first time, Nayoung’s legs crumpled underneath her. As she tried to take another step, her body propelled forwards as she came out of balance. With a yelp, she came hurtling down. She felt her foot - which was still very much stuck between the rock/root duo - twist, causing her yelp to turn more into a high pitched scream.

Fortunately, her reflexes - which were normally on the slower side - enabled her to bring her arms out, shielding her face before it hit the ground. Unfortunately, the ankle she had twisted was her right, the one that had been sprained multiple times throughout her life. Jerking her foot out from underneath the root, she groaned as searing pain seemed to attack her nerves, her old injury aggravated during the fall.

Kyulkyung came bounding to her side, her worry evident on her face. She shone her flashlight at the older girl, her eyes scanning for major injuries. Her eyebrows were furrowed together as she bombarded the elder girl with a series of rapid-fire questions, leaving no time in between to allow Nayoung to answer.

“Are you okay?” came her worried voice. “Does it hurt if I touch here? What about here?” 

Nayoung shook her head in response. The head shaking must have been too fast because it made her a little dizzy, causing her to groan a little.

This only caused a further flurry of questioning. “Did you hurt your head? Do you have a concussion? How many fingers am I holding up?” Kyulkyung’s words were so rushed together that the syllables became muddled, hurting Nayoung’s head more than the fall did.

Nayoung stood shortly after, politely refusing Kyulkyung’s offered hand. 

“I’m okay, I’m okay,” she repeated, grazing the scrapes on the underside of her long arms and wincing, “just a few scratches - no big deal.”

After Kyulkyung thoroughly inspected the scratches that lined her arms, the younger girl abruptly turned on her heel. Mustering all the anger she had, she menacingly glared at the offending rock, muttering that no one was allowed to hurt her “personal driver”.   
Although Nayoung secretly found the younger girl’s worry cute, she felt slightly embarrassed at the fact that it was her that needed all this extra attention. Shouldn’t Kyulkyung - i.e. the girl Nayoung was doing a favour for - be the one that needed help?

While Kyulkyung’s back was turned, Nayoung tested if she could put weight on her twisted ankle. Secretly leaning on it to apply some pressure, she discovered that it elicited significantly less pain than before. Nayoung decided that it was best not to tell the younger girl, not wanting her to worry or fuss over her some more.

She had no doubts that Kyulkyung would fight the rock if she knew that it hurt her more than she was letting on. Kyulkyung fighting an inanimate object for her wasn’t something she necessarily wanted to witness today, or ever for that matter.  
There was no guarantee that Kyulkyung would even win, which would be embarrassing for the both of them.

Noticing Nayoung’s slight limp, Kyulkyung asked if she really was as okay as she said she was.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Nayoung lied, “just tired.”

All of a sudden, Kyulkyung wrapped her arms around one of Nayoung’s, proclaiming that the older girl was too tired and clumsy to be left alone for even a second. Begrudgingly, Nayoung accepted the younger girl’s clinging, finding that she didn't mind Kyulkyung’s hold as uncomfortable as she would have expected.

Together they traipsed into the hotel. The entrance was golden and overly ornate, hinting at the too-expensive price for staying. The interior was decorated well, with pretty little potted plants lining most surfaces and modern paintings hanging on the walls.

A woman sat behind the pristine desk, clearly annoyed that she had to deal with clients rather than being able to remain perusing the magazine in her well-manicured hands.  
The fact they were arriving so late in the night must have been annoying too, it was entirely possible that they were the first clients she had to talk to in hours.

Nayoung soon realised that the woman’s unfavourable gaze was not towards them, but in particular towards the overly intimate way Kyulkyung was clinging onto her. Nayoung was a little unnerved at the disapproving look the woman was shooting them, flustered but ultimately unwilling to tell the younger girl to stop holding onto her.

“Hi, we’d like to book a room for the night?” Kyulkyung asked, plastering a tool big smile on her face. She remained polite, seemingly not noticing the glare on the lady’s face.

“No reservation, then?” came her deprecating voice.

“No, no, we don’t have a reservation,” Kyulkyung said, breaking into a laugh, only to abruptly stop when the receptionist peered up at her from behind her glasses. “It’s - uh - hard to book beforehand when you only met today.”

“Alright then…” Her well-manicured hands clicked at the keyboard of her computer, her eyes fixed on the screen. “Alright, well the one bed suite will cos-”

“Two,” Nayoung interjected, before becoming embarrassed when both women turned to her, “sorry, I mean… are there no, uh, two bed suites available?” 

Kyulkyung broke into a pout. “Unnie~ don’t you want to sleep with me?”

Immediately flustered at Kyulkyung’s less-than-ideal choice of words, Nayoung felt the heat of a blush beginning to rush to her face. Her blush only worsened under the receptionist’s intense judging gaze. Once more, her hands went to the keyboard.

“In that case, that’ll come up to 136 thousand won-” Nayoung’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, that was almost two week's worth of her rent “-for a single night.”

While Nayoung scrambled for her wallet, Kyulkyung was already handing her credit card over to the lady. Nayoung felt a need to reject the younger girl paying for their stay, but kept quiet knowing that the five star hotel was well above her price range.

The lady’s hand outstretched to them, offering them a plastic card. “And here is the key card, have a fantastic stay,” she drawled. “Your room is located on the right wing.”

Kyulkyung pulled on her arm, directing the older girl to follow her to their lodging. With every step she took, Nayoung still made sure that she was putting less weight on her right ankle. 

The room was simple but nice, the white walls plainly decorated with two modest paintings over their individual beds.

Like a child might, Kyulkyung ran over to the nearest bed - the one farthest from the window - and jumped on it. With her face buried in the soft pillows, “this one's mine!” came her muffled voice. The moment Kyulkyung rose her head she let out a sweet laugh, saying “I got some lip tint on the pillowcase,” promptly rubbing at it with her fingers. Her efforts to wipe it away only spread the colour, leaving the once-white pillow with a pink stain that would be difficult to get rid of.

“I think it looks better that way,” Nayoung remarked. “The room’s a bit boring with everything all white.”

The flowers decorating the bedside table also happened to be white, as if the colour scheme of the entire hotel wasn’t overtly obvious from the moment they walked in. 

Sitting on the bed with her back against the wall, Kyulkyung lovingly traced the small petals of one of the flowers. “Daisies - the flower of new beginnings,” she said. “Y’know, daffodils can mean new beginnings too. They're the flowers on my bag, by the way.” She made a small gesture to her backpack, which had been left haphazardly against the leg of the table. “They're my favourite.”

“Hmm, I didn't know flowers had meanings,” Nayoung admitted, her words causing the younger to gaze up at her. “they're just pretty things, right? Just random decorations so the room doesn’t feel empty.”

“All pretty things have secrets.” 

“What’s your secret then?” Nayoung asked after a beat, causing another sweet smile.

“Are you calling me pretty?” Kyulkyung said with a laugh, expertly avoiding the question. 

The older girl decided not to answer, instead directing the conversation to a safer topic.  
“So, uh, what else do daffodils mean?” she said, curious to find out why the younger girl preferred them above all others.

"Love me.”


End file.
